


Let Me See You Smile

by naminethewitch



Series: Creek Week [7]
Category: South Park
Genre: Creek Week, Day 7, Hospital, M/M, Surgery, fluff with a bit of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-28
Updated: 2018-10-28
Packaged: 2019-08-09 04:01:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16442588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/naminethewitch/pseuds/naminethewitch
Summary: Craig has a brain tumour and Tweek is terrified.





	Let Me See You Smile

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I am not a doctor! I've also never had surgery or even had to stay in a hospital! This is my interpretation of what it might be like, heavily influenced by TV dramas. Which is not the best representation, I know. Please don't think about it too much. Enjoy!

When they first got the diagnose, Tweek was convinced that Craig was going to die within the next month. After all, a brain tumour was not something easily overcome. But the doctors were confident that it could be removed since it was discovered early enough. Still, Tweek couldn’t shake the feeling that something terrible would happen. He only got more certain when the surgeon that would be in charge of the operation told them the risks.

“… Excuse me, what was that?” Tweek asked in a small voice. He stood next to Craig’s hospital bed, holding on to his husband’s hand for dear life. The normally reassuring squeezes that Craig gave him didn’t calm him down. The doctor sighed.

“Because of the location of the tumour there is a high risk that Mr Tucker’s sight may be permanently damaged or even lost all together.” Tweek felt faint. Craig carefully pulled on his hand to urge him to sit down on the bed’s edge which he did. His hands were shaking and his thoughts were spiralling. Craig could go blind and Tweek was not dealing well with that information. His husband let go of his hand to pull him into a hug instead.

“It’s all right, honey. It’s just a possibility. And even if that were to happen, we will make it work. We’re a great team, remember.” Tweek just nodded, still a bit numb.

 

The day of the operation, Tweek was definitely more nervous than Craig himself. He had bitten his nails down and was now doing his best not to chew on the skin of his thumb as well. Laura watched him with worried eyes from the chair she had pulled up next to her son’s bed. Craig himself was a bit less concerned, he had seen Tweek’s panic slowly building up over the last week.

“Mom, could you leave us alone for a minute?” he asked. Laura nodded with a small smile. On her way out she patted Tweek on the back. “Come over here, babe,” Craig told him while patting the bed next to him. He hesitantly did. Immediately after sitting down, he began fidgeting. Craig gently took his hands in his own.

“Now look at me honey.” Tweek did as he was asked and Craig could see the intense fear behind his eyes. Unconsciously, he squeezed Tweek’s hands to reassure him. “Everything is going to be alright. Whether my vision makes it or not, we’ll be fine. I promise.”

“But if you don’t make it at all?” Tweek asked with tears in his eyes. “I can’t do this alone, Craig. It’s too much pressure.” His voice broke at the end and he started to sniffle as a tear ran down his cheek. With a sad smile, Craig pulled him against his chest and stroked his hair.

“I’ll make it, I promise.” Tweek just cried against his shoulder until Laura came back in with the doctor and a nurse in tow.

“Mr Tucker, it is time,” the surgeon said. Craig nodded and gently pushed Tweek away from him.

“Tweek, honey, let me see your smile.” His husband looked at him, confused.

“Why?”

“Because if this is the last time I’ll be able to see you, I want you to smile, ok.” His lip quivered, but Tweek nodded and wiped his eyes before taking a deep breath. Then he looked his husband in the eyes and smiled.

“See you later then, Craig.” Craig smiled right back.

“Yeah, see you then, honey.”

 

Hours later, the surgeon came to talk to Tweek and Mrs Tucker who had been waiting together, trying their best to keep each other calm. They had also made quite a few calls, talking to Thomas and Trisha but also to Clyde, Token and Jimmy. Tweek had even called his own mother, a rare occurrence.

“How did it go, doctor?” Laure asked. Tweek was unable to speak right now; he was way too worked up.

“The surgery was a success; Mr Tucker has a lot more years to live.” A relieved sigh escaped both Tweek and his mother-in-law. “However,” Tweek knew it had been too good to be true,” there was a complication during the operation and his brain sustained some damage we couldn’t fix.” Laura was tightly holding on to Tweek’s hand, she could feel him shaking like a leaf.

“What damage, doctor?” Mrs Tucker asked.

“I’m afraid Mr Tucker is completely blind. I’m sorry.” Silent tears run down Tweek’s cheeks as he stared at the surgeon. If he said any more, he couldn’t hear it. Laura pulled him into her chest and let him cry into her shoulder.

 

Tweek hated himself for partly dreading the moment Craig would wake up. He was not at all prepared to face his husband’s now empty eyes. He had bitten so many of his fingers hard enough to draw blood that some of the nurses were extremely concerned about him. One of them even offered to just wrap his entire hand in gauze so that he wouldn’t be tempted anymore. Tweek stuck with the bandaids.

Laura had left to go to the cafeteria to get a coffee, leaving Tweek alone with his still sleeping husband. The nurses had said that he had woken up before for a few minutes and they had explained his condition to him but they don’t know how much of it he would remember. Now Tweek was holding on to Craig’s hand while thinking about what he was supposed to say when the moment finally came. He was so lost in thought that he didn’t see his husband’s eyes opening.

“Tweek, honey? Is that you?” Craig croaked, his voice a bit raw and groggy from sleep.

“Yeah, Craig, I’m here.” As if to prove it, Tweek gave Craig’s hand a squeeze. A smile settled on the patient’s face.

“I told you I would make it.”

“Yeah, you did,” Tweek said with a breathless laugh. Craig raised his free hand in the air.

“Let me touch your face, please.” Tweek nodded, even if his husband wouldn’t be able to tell anymore and leaned his head into the outstretched palm. Craig’s smile grew even wider as he stroked his husband’s cheek.

“There you are,” he hummed satisfied. Tweek choked on a sob and new tears spilled down his face. With a frown Craig freed his other hand and placed it on Tweek’s other cheek with a bit of trial and error. Then he began to wipe away the tears while Tweek’s hand held himself steady.

“Don’t cry honey, everything will be fine, we can make this work,” Craig reassured.

“I know,” Tweek sniffled,” but it’s just so… I don’t know…”

“That’s okay,” Craig said with a small smile,” we’ll figure it out together, right.”

“Right,” Tweek nodded and moved to lie down next to his husband. Craig felt his way up to Tweek’s hair and combed through it. He was really glad that the last time he saw his husband, he was smiling.


End file.
